{We saw countless honey bees buzzing, feeding, and pollinating on our trip to visit our sunflower oil grower and supplier Colorado Mills. Can you spot the one above?} As news came out about Neonicotinoids, and their potential harm to pollinators, we knew we had to dig in. We reached out to our growers to learn more and see what we could do to help. We are now working with our suppliers to find ways to support non-Neonicotinoid growing practices and help protect local pollinators. Honey bees pollinate over 80% of our flowering crops which constitute one third of everything we eat. Neonicotinoids are a group of pesticides used to coat seeds to protect them from insects and pests in the early stages of growing. The coated seeds are only used for planting and never for human consumption. However, neonicotinoids,…

We’re so excited to be the first makers of whole grain, non-GMO, gluten-free pretzels and we couldn’t do it without sorghum. We use sorghum because it is so much better than the bleached, refined flours in other classic pretzels and the corn and soy ingredients in the gluten free versions. Sorghum tastes better, crunches better, is better for you, and better for the land. We work with Earl Roemer, a fourth generation farmer because his whole grain sorghum is the very best we could find. Earl Roemer, Nu Life Market founder and president, is a fourth generation farmer in Scott City, Kansas. Earl’s great-grandfather emigrated from Sweden, through Ellis Island, and onto Kansas during the Homestead Act, a time in history when the United States government incentivized settlers to move out west in exchange for farmland. The Roemer’s raised cattle and crops for decades…

This holiday season we reached out to some of our long-time food friends to put together a sweet Holiday Gift Box – perfect for anyone on your list, granted they love organic popcorn and fairtrade chocolate! [Available at our online store, while they last! store.quinnsnacks.com] “We’re all about sourcing the best ingredients and creating premium blends without any artificial ingredients, flavors or colors because “delicious” and “natural” should absolutely go together!” Little Secrets was started by Kristy’s friend from high school. You’ll find his Peppermint Dark Chocolate Candy Coated Chocolate in the Holiday Gift Box! Think York Peppermint Patties, but way better [and better ingredients!]. “Our story begins with a lifelong love affair of chocolate and our founder’s big-hearted wish for a world in which delicious treats could be enjoyed with peace of mind.” Cisse Cocoa’s founder and Kristy met years ago and instantly connected. They…

This is a quick story of where our sunflower oil comes from. Almost two decades ago, four families banded together and built the first sunflower mill in Colorado [and one of the only strictly expeller-extracted plants in the country]. They grew the sunflowers, partnered with other local growers, crushed the seeds after harvest, and pressed them for the oil – high in healthy fatty acids and vitamin E. Nothing went to waste, the crushed seeds became livestock feed for local ranchers. Here are some photos from our last visit with our sunflower growers at Colorado Mills in Lamar, Colorado – a quick four-hour drive from Quinn HQ. A shot from the road in Southeastern Colorado on our way from Boulder to Lamar. Kristy with Doug Uhland, a Colorado Mills farmer-owner, talking sunflower growing practices. Doug’s sunflower heads are heavy with…

Let’s start off by saying that we love sending popcorn to you. It’s exactly why we’re here – to clean up snacks, so you can enjoy them! The things is, sometimes those boxes have a lot of empty space inside. All those empty spaces take up space limiting the amount of boxes a truck can carry. This means more trucks on the road. We’d like to work together to decrease the amount of empty space in our boxes. And here’s how, a Quinn Popcorn Eco Shipping guide. Select an Eco order size and we’ll ship your order with as little empty space as possible. To make an Eco order of Microwave Popcorn, use the options below: 3 boxes 6 boxes 9 boxes 15 boxes 25 boxes To make an Eco order of Farm-to-Bag Popcorn, use the options below: 3 (6 bags) 6…

Since launching last year, we are so excited to see Farm-to-Bag Popcorn become a household go-to. We love the opportunity to talk to folks about our focus on ingredients. From healthy oils to non-GMO and transparency; we really do think food should be simple, honest, transparent, and convenient. The backbone of Farm-to-Bag is awesome ingredients and strong grower partnerships. Our California Olive Oil popcorn made with California Olive Ranch extra-virgin olive oil couldn’t be a better demonstration of this. California Olive Ranch, located in Northern California, has a climate like Spain and northern Tuscany (aka perfect for olive growing). Here they rely on time honored family traditions alongside sustainable innovations. At harvest time (a 45 day window) the short bushy trees are harvested quickly and carefully. Within in just a couple of hours of being picked, the olives are milled to maintain the fullest…

I think we’ve all seen and heard the GMO food arguments and counterarguments. It seems like a pretty complex issue, but in reality, it’s dead simple. (If you need a primer on what a GMO is, check out THIS post.) First there are two distinct positions that keep getting mixed together. Advocating for the elimination of GMOs, and advocating for labeling of products that are made using GMOs. Advocating to eliminate GMOs: This is the position that’s making it look complicated. From emotional appeals to conflicting scientific reports, the argument for eliminating GMOs is complicated and eventually leads to a point for point quagmire. Yes, GMO’s impact on our health and environment is real, but it’s not the root of the issue. Even if you’re convinced that we need to stop growing all genetically modified food, there’s still a huge piece missing. Without labeling, the…

(Here’s a promise from us, we’re always going to share exactly what’s in our product. No hiding behind natural flavors here – the photo above is some of our raw ingredients.) Nature and flavor might be two of our favorite things, so why is this word combo stirring up such a hullabaloo? For us, it comes down to one thing really, a lack of transparency. The words “natural flavor” on an ingredient list just don’t tell the whole story. Here’s how natural flavoring is defined in the Code of Federal Regulations: “essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy…

This is a quick story of where our corn comes from. Four years ago Quinn Popcorn was an idea that would have never been realized if we couldn’t find the right partners. Kristy spent the first year of Quinn Popcorn in her attic, Quinn in lap, and phone to ear. She was talking to everyone in our food system, trying to pull together all the pieces needed to make microwave popcorn in an entirely different way. Corn was a linchpin. It was a time of 99% dead ends. One of those calls was to Grain Place Foods. Dave, the owner, took Kristy’s call and over the next few weeks they talked corn and organic farming for hours. On our way to visiting Grain Place Foods we admitted to our expectations. Family run, deep passion for farming and food, and happy people doing their life’s…

Do you love Thanksgiving? Do you love popcorn? Well, we have created recipes that incorporate popcorn into all of your Thanksgiving dishes! Just kidding. Even though we are big fans of popcorn, we know there is a time and a place. Snacking? Yes definitely! Part of Turkey Day dinner? Probably not. For Thanksgiving this year, we are looking forward to trying some new things, buying some local stuff and drawing on Thanksgivings past. Here’s a peek into our plans for Turkey day. (The above photo is from a dinner out with the entire Quinn crew at the Gold Hill Inn in Gold Hill Colorado) > Turkey from Jodar Farms with stuffing and dressing. The Great Debate: Inside the Turkey vs. Outside the Turkey. Where do you stand? We are doing both this year! > Cranberry sauce a la can. Just like…